Air-compressor governor.



No. 844,801. PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907. B. HILL. AIR COMPRESSOR GOVERNOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 844,801. PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907. E. HILL. AIR- GOMPRESSOR GOVERNOR.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 7. 1905.

4 SHEBTSSHEET 8.

No. 844,801. PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907, B. HILL.

AIR COMPRESSOR GOVERNOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1905.

4. SHEETSSHEET 3.

No. 844,801. PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

- E. HILL.

AIR COMPRESSOR GOVBRNGR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. '7. 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED srarps EBENEZER HILL, OF NORWALK, CONNECTICUT.

AIR-COMPRESSOR GOVERNOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed November "I, 1905. Serial No. 286,186.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, EBENEZER HILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Nor- Walk, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Air-Compressor Governor, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a governor mech anism which operates totemporarily relieve an air or gas compressor of work. It is particularlydesigned for compressors which are driven by motors that are inefficientand incapable of taking up thenecessary load until they have attainedpractically full speed.

'1 he object of the invention is to render the activethat is, the intakeor discharge valves of the compression-cylinder inoperative when thecompressor is idle or running at a low rate of speed and allow them tobecome effective, so that the piston can -do work only when thecompressor is speeded The devices shown in the drawings as illustratingthe invention have a ball-governor arranged to control means soconnected with the intake-valves of a compressor that those valves areheldopen when the balls droop as a result of no motion or but littlemotion, but are allowed to operate effectively when the balls fly out asa result of rapid motion. I/Vhen the. intake-valves remain open, air orgas simply flows in and out through the intake-valve ports as the pistonis reciprocated without requiring the piston to do any work, so it isnot until the machine has attained suflicient speed to throw out theballs the required amountth at is, when the motor has reached fullspeedtha t the valves are allowed to operate normally- The effect ofthis is that when the com ressor starts it is unloaded and has no loauntil it .gets' up to speed.

Figure 1 of the accomp anying drawings shows a side elevation with partsout in section of so much of one form of a compressor valve mechanismand governor as is necessary to understand this invention. Fig. 2 showsa plan of a valve-stem arm' and a latch which is used to connecttheeccentric-rod arm with the valve-stem arm of this form of valvemechanism. Fig. 3 shows a side view of this valve-stem arm and latch.Fig. 4 shows a side view of one of the eccentricrod arms. Fig. 5 showsan edge view of this eccentric-rod arm. In the forms shown in Figs. 1 to5 the governor is so arranged that when the balls droop plungers whichare normally drawn in by springs are pushedout by the governor mechanismand caused to effect a disengagement of the eccentric-rod arms from thestems of positively-operated rotary plug intake-valves at such timesthat the valves will remain open whenever the balls droop, but will openand close normally whenever the balls fly out. Fig. 6 indicates a formof the invention in which the plungers are drawn in by the governorandpushed out by a spring, this action being the reverse of the action inthe form first shown. Fig. 7 indicates a form of the invention in whichthe plungers are pushed out by airpressure and drawn in by the droopingof the governor-balls. Fig. 8 indicates a form in which the plungers aredrawn in by springs and the governor controls a cock in a pipe leadingfrom a reservoir of corrpressed air, which when the cock is opened bythe drooping of the balls forces the interfering-plungers outwardly. Inall of the above-described fOlH'S the invention is shown as arranged forcontrolling rotary intake-valves. In Fig. 9 the governor is shown asarranged to control air-pressure, wh ich is used to effect the action ofpuppet intake-valves. Fig. 10 shows a'view, on larger scale, of one ofthe puppet intake-valves and the plunger which is moved by compressedair to effect its action. Fig. 11 shows a plan of a form of theinvention in which the governor controls a hook. carried by a movingpart of the machine in such location that it connects or disconnects themoving part with mechanism that will open the intake-valves when theballs droop as a result of low speed. Fig. 12 shows a side elevationwith parts in section of this form of the invention. Fig. 13indicates amethod of connecting the governorcontrol with a plunger arranged to,hold open a puppet intake-valve at the desired time.

- In the first form of the invention illustrated, 1 indicates aneccentric-rod of ordinary construction, that is connected with thevalve-eccentric in the usual manner. The

and close the intake-valves at the proper times. Hinged at the end andalso some distance from the end of the eccentric-rod are forked arms 2.Each of these eccentric-rod arms turns loosely on a hub 3, which extendsoutwardly lrom a valve-stem arm 4. Each valve-stem arm is fastened tothe stem 5 of a rotary plug intake-valve of common reciprocations ofthis rod are utilized to open one end connected with the barreland the.

construction, so that the oscillations of the valve-stem arms will openand close the intake-valves. 1

i The valves themselves being of ordinary form and their specificconstruction forming no part of this invention they are not shown.Mounted on each'valve-arm is a latch 6, the lower end of which isadapted to engage a notch 7 in the eccentric-arm in such manner that theswinging of the eccentric-arm when engaged by the latch will tuin .thevalve-arm so as to open the intake-valve to which the arm is attached.

Each latch turns on a stud 8, which projects from the valve-arm. In abarrel 9, fastened to this stud, is a spring 10, which has in onedirection through the latch it will tuin the valve-stem arm and valve.

Extending outwardly from each valvearm is a finger 11, and turning in alug 12, that projects from each eccentric-arm, is a set-screw 13. Theset-screws carried by the eccentric-arms are turned up against thefingers projecting from the valve-arms. When the eccentric-rod isreciprocated, the movement of the eccentiicarrr.s in one direction iscommunicated to the valve-arms through these screwsand fingers, and themovement of the eccentric-arms in the opposite direction is communicatedto the valve-arms, as described, by the latches.

Held bya casing Mare two horizontallymovable plungers 15. The outer endsof these plungers are in line with the upper ends of the latches carriedby the valve-arms. Springs 16 tend to thrust these plungers toward eachother and draw the ends into the 65 a lever 21, that is jointed to thelower end of casing. When these plungers are forced outwardly againstthe pressure of the springs their outer ends move into the paths of theupper ends of the latches; which then'as they are moved by thereciprocations of the eccentric-rod engage the ends of the plungers andare rocked so that their lower ends are dis- .engaged from the notchesin the eccentricarms. Then the oscillations of the eccentricarms willnot oscillate the valve-stems, and consequently will not turn thevalves. On

. the inner .end of each of these plungers is a lug 17, and pivoted tothe casing adjacent to these lugs is a lever 18, which has two in agovernor-rod 22. This rod is raised and lowered by the weighted levers23 of a common fly-ball governor, which is revolved by the gears 24,driven by the pulley 25', that is belted to any convenient revolvingpart of the compressor or other mechanism, the speed of which is tobeutilized to control the efl'ective action of the compressor.

When the compressor is idle or running slowly, the governor-balls droopand lift the governor-rod and so actuate the levers that the plungersare pushed outwardly into the paths of the latches. When the plungersare in these positions, the latches disengage the eccentric-arms fromthe valve-arms, so that the intake-valves will remain open. Under theseconditions when the piston reciprocates air simply flows in and outthrough the intake-valve effective wor r. When the motor or thecompressor reaches the necessary speed, the governor-balls will rise anddepress the governor-rod and actuate the levers, so that the plungersmay be drawn backby their springs into the casing out of the paths ofthe latches. Under these circumstances the intakevalves are opened andclosed regularly, and the compressor then accomplishes its normalfunction.

Of course it isobvious' that the action of the governor and the springscould be reversedthat is, the action of the springs could be to ush theplungers out and the governor cou d act to draw the plungers back whenthe governor had attained its highest speed. This arrangement isshown inFig. 6. When the balls 26 fall from slow motion, the plungers areallowed to be forced out by the action of the spring 27, so that theirends will be engaged by the latches which connect the valve-rod arms andthe eccentric-rod arms.

As the speed increases and the balls rise the governor-rod 28 oscillatesthe lever 29, which through the link 30 causes the toggles 31 to drawthe plungers back into the casing out of the paths of the latches.

Asshown in Fig. 7, the plungers could instead of being forced apartby aspring be forced apart by air-pressure. In this case when the ballsdroop air-pressure in the chamber 32 would force the plungers apart.This air-pressure could be obtained from a receiver 33, located anywhereand connected by. a pipe 34. When the balls in this form rise as thespeed increases, by means of the toggle 35, the plungers are drawn backout of the paths of the latches. 7

Instead of the governor actually throwing the plungers out, it can, asshown in Fig. 8, he made to act upon a three-way cook 36 in a pipe 37,leading from a reservoir 38, in which air is stored under pressure fromsome previous operation of the compressor. The downward movement of thegovernor-balls opens the valve and allows the air-pressure orts and thepiston does no to force the plungers apart against their springs,thereby accomplishing the result as though the governor itself actuallythrew the plungers out by direct connection.

In all of the forms previously described the governor is arranged tocontrol the action of plungers acting -upon the latch of a I I is shownin Fig. 10. The valve-disk 43 opens the lever 53 in suc inwardly andcloses outwardly against a seat 44 and is guided by a stem 45. A-spring- Adjacent to the valve-stem may be arranged 46 tends to draw thevalve toits seat.

a plunger 47, that is drawn back by a spring 48, W hen thegovernor-balls droop and the cook 39 is open, air through the pipeforces the plunger against the valve-stem 3nd holds the stemlopcn aslong as the balls roop.

' In Fig. 13, adjacent to the valve-stdm 49, is a plunger 50 Thisplunger is adapted to be forced into engagement with the end of thevalve-stem by a' lever 51, connected directly with the governor.

If desired, the power for moving the plungers outwardly, so as to causeinterference, could be obtained from amoving part of the compressor,this part being connected with the plunger-movingmechanism at the propertime by the action of the governor. A mechanism operating in this manneris indicated in Figs. 11 and 12.

The rod 52 may be connected with any reciprocating part of thecompressor. This rod may carry an oscillating lever 53, hELV-.

ing hooks 54 at each end and a lug. 55 at the'center. Pivoted adjacentto this lever may be a lever 56, that is connected with thegovernor-rod- 57.. This lever may be provided with lugs 58, which whenthe lever is lifted by means of the drooping of the governor-balls areen aged by the lug 55 of manner that the lever 53 is tipped so thateither one hook or the other will catch upon the lug 59 on the lever 60,that has lugs 61 arranged to engage with stems 62, roiecting from therear of the lungers. 63. hen the hook draws the ever in one direction,the plungers are forced outwardly. When the hook draws this lever in theopposite direction, the

plungers are drawn inwardly by their springs. The invention is notlimited to the'speciiic form of ball-governor nor to the details ofconstruction which are herein shown.

The invention claimed isl. The combination with an intake-valve of anair-compressor cylinder, of mechanism adapted to hold said valve open, aspeedgovernor, and means controlled by the governor and connected withthe aforesaid mechanism which when the governor -is 001- lapsed. causessaid mechanism to hold the valve open, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with an intake-valve of an air-compressor cylinder,'of a speedgovernor, mechanism adapted to hold said valve open, andmeans connecting the governor and the aforesaid mechanism, said meansbeing so organized that when the governor is idle or is moving slowlythe valve will be held open and when the governor is moving rapidly thevalve will be allowed to operate normally, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with an intake-valve of an air-compressor cylinder,of a fly-ball governor, mechanism adapted to hold said valve'open, andmeans connecting the governor and .the aforesaid mechanism, said meansbeing so organized that when the governor is idle or is movin slowly thevalve will be held open and when the governor is moving rapidly thevalve will be allowed to operate normally, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with an intake-valve of an air-compressor cylinder,of mechanism for opening and closing the valve, means for connecting theopening and closing mechanism with and disconnecting that mechanism fromthe valve, means for causing the disengagement of the connecting means,a speed-governor, and a connection between the governor and the meansfor causing the disengagement of the connecting means, said meansoperating when the governor is idle or moving slowly to cause saiddisengagement and hold said valve open, substantially as specified.

EBENEZER HILL.

Witnesses:

, S. M. STEVENS, J. E. SLATER.

ioo

